10% off Real Christmas Trees

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Every year the age old debate of Real Christmas Trees vs. Artificial Christmas Trees surfaces. Is an artificial tree better than a real tree? There are many schools of thought but ultimately, it boils down to what each of us is looking for in a Christmas tree.

2011 Christmas in front of our real Christmas Tree

Growing up we always had a real tree. I remember either going to a local tree farm or a local tree lot in search of the perfect tree. The smell of pine always brings back many nostalgic memories of Christmases past. As an adult I have never strayed from that family tradition of having a real tree for Christmas. A real Christmas cannot be had without a real tree.

You may call me sentimental or a traditionalist, but recently I read an article, titled Carlucci's Bill Puts Warning Tags on Christmas Trees, about New York Senator David Carlucci, who is working on passing a bill to put warning labels on artificial Christmas trees and any holiday decorations containing lead that are sold in New York State. California already passed a similar bill some years back. Carlucci is quoted saying, "Right now in the U.S., about 85 percent of artificial Christmas trees are made in China. Many of them contain PVC (polyvinyl chloride), plastics, which is a material that can really cause harm to young children, to pets.” Plastic material, typically PVC, can be a potential source of hazardous lead."

Being a traditionalist, in this case, seems to be the way to go. Not only am I supporting our U.S. Christmas tree farmers but I am keeping my kids and pets safe too.